Roasted Chicken Provençal

Last week when we were in Rochester, our friend, Ann, made Roasted Chicken Provençal for all of us our first night there. It was so good, I decided I needed to make it, myself – right away! The recipe is a New York Times offering from Steven Stolman. NYTimes recipes are generally no-fail, and this one is indeed, no-fail. As Ann said, it’s one that can be made well in advance and just popped into the oven when need be. The perfect make-ahead for guests or when you know you’re going too be short on prep time. Ann switched hers around using different herbs and spices. I decided to go with the herbes de Provence, since I have plenty. The beauty of this recipe is you really can go with what you have or what you’re in the mood for.

And please don’t try and make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts – it will not work. Trust me on this.

Heat oven to 400°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.

Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.

Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.

Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter.

One thing Ann stressed is make sure you don’t crowd the chicken. You really do want the skin to get crisp. I probably could have used a larger pan but this one was low enough and the skin really crisped well. It was almost like bacon and I actually ate it – and I generally don’t eat skin.

I also added the potatoes on top at the 20-minute mark and let them cook in all the juices. I could have cooked them in a separate pan, but…

All-in-all, a very successful dinner – and one that will be made again – and again!